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It’s all too easy to fall into lazy patterns when it comes to waking up. Just a couple mornings of sleeping in can completely derail your early morning schedule. Unfortunately, waking up later usually means sacrificing the healthier parts of your day: the quick gym or surf session before work, making a healthy breakfast, or taking time to stretch before starting the day. These are all activities that infinitely increase your happiness and energy levels throughout the day. In short, you need to become a morning person; whether you are naturally one or not. Here are the 7 easiest ways to embrace your mornings and wake up with more energy.
Stop Hitting the Snooze Button
Think setting your alarm a half hour before you need to wake up helps you ease into the morning? Nope. This habit actually deprives your body of the deep sleep it needs. Instead of a half hour of restful, restorative sleep, you end up stuck in a light, uneasy sleep. This leaves your body in a zombie-like state, and it makes it that much harder to get your butt out of bed.
Stick to a Schedule
Try to stick to the same sleep schedule every night. Many people sleep in for a couple extra hours on the weekends. Although this might feel like the best way to catch up on sleep, it throws off your body’s circadian rhythm. This makes it much more difficult for your body to know when it’s time to wake up during the week. Instead, if you need extra rest on the weekends, take short naps in the afternoons. This will give you more energy without disrupting your nightly sleep cycle.
Move It Move It
Exercising regularly helps your body maintain higher energy levels during the day and wind down to sleep at night. Make an effort to exercise regularly even during the mid-week craze. Although any exercise is beneficial, the best time to exercise is in the morning. It helps you wake up, stoke your metabolism, and get your brain prepped for the day. Exercising too late in the day can raise your heart rate, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
Cold Snap
Whether you’re washing your face or jumping in the ocean for dawn patrol, a splash of cold water is a wonderful way to help your body wake up. The cold shock stimulates a burst of adrenaline, which can help get you through the groggy phase in the morning.
Drink Up
Drink a glass or two of water within an hour of waking up. By the time you start your morning, you haven’t hydrated in 8 hours, and your body needs water to get moving. Make a habit of drinking a glass of water before your morning cup of coffee. It will help you remember, and in combination, the two will get your morning off to a great start.
Schedule Plans for the Morning
Start scheduling breakfast meetings, coffee dates, and appointments earlier in the morning. This gives you a powerful incentive to get out of bed and turn your brain on. You can’t easily back out of these things, and as you adjust to getting your day started earlier, you’ll find it easier and easier to get moving in the morning.
